Tuesday 7th July 2015 (Series 73, Prelim 13)
Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 10:26 am
Slightly late, for which I blame the recap writer being down last Tuesday. But wait no longer.
Since unseating 4-time champion Pat Lonergan, Judy Bursford's been on a winning streak and is today attempting to match his number of wins. But we have an Apterite in the challenger's seat for the first time in a few weeks, attempting to stop her. Incredibly, the challenger is not only an Apterite, but that rarest of Apto-breeds, the female under-30 Apterite! With each passing year, the female under-30 Apterite species grows rarer and rarer, and is poised on the edge of extinction (there are a grand total of 5 in the entirety of Pro Ranks at the moment; Rachel is the third-ranked). Can Rachel inspire legions of young women to take up the anagramming cause and finally give us a female series champ? Or can Judy, for that matter? Let's see.
Countdown recap for Tuesday 7 July 2015.
C1: Champion Judy Bursford (3 wins, 254 points.)
C2: Challenger Rachel Hurst. A Maths student.
DC: Susie Dent and Helen Fospero.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T P C A I O L E Y
R02: N S L U I A B T U
R03: 25, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2. Target: 980.
TTT: CARDFEES - "They often write things off by writing on them"
R04: R T S E A O M T E
R05: Z S R I A U S A L
R06: 100, 7, 9, 2, 1, 4. Target: 561.
R07: N G F O I A D O T
R08: S T R E I A S W E
R09: 25, 3, 4, 4, 2, 1. Target: 461.
TTT: FIERIEST - "The fieriest sort of person is usually this too"
R10: F T R A U A N D E
R11: G S N I O E R R A
R12: V N B E I A L S O
R13: D N D U E A T R H
R14: 100, 7, 2, 1, 3, 8. Target: 387.
R15: S I N G B A D L I (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T P C A I O L E Y
Judy: LOCATE (6)
Rachel: CAPITOL (7)
DC: TOPICAL (7) OPTICAL (7) PLICATE (7)
OT: CALOTYPE (8) EPICOTYL (8) POETICAL (8)
Score: 0–7 (max 8)
Rachel takes an early lead with her American 7, which is "a building housing a legislative assembly" in the US.
Round 2: N S L U I A B T U
Judy: BLAST (5)
Rachel: BLAST (5)
DC: NAUTILUS (8)
Score: 5–12 (max 16)
A NAUTILUS is "A cephalopod mollusc with a light external spiral shell and numerous short tentacles around the mouth.
Genus Nautilus, the only surviving genus of the subclass Nautiloidea: several species, in particular the pearly nautilus". Also: when did ODO start having pictures?? There's a picture on the NAUTILUS entry! This is amazing!
It's also a darren.
Round 3: 25, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2. Target: 980.
Judy: -
Rachel: -
RR: 980. (25 x 4 - 2) x (8 + 2) (10)
Score: 5–12 (max 26)
(Bit harsh maybe, but I just wanted to use a Lion King GIF.)
Teatime teaser: CARDFEES -> DEFACERS
Round 4: R T S E A O M T E
Judy: STEAMER (7)
Rachel: MAESTRO (7)
DC: TOASTER (7) REMOTES (7) SMATTER (7)
OT: REMOTEST (8) TEAMSTER (8)
Score: 12–19 (max 34)
Quick teaser for DC - REMOTES+T = ?.
Round 5: Z S R I A U S A L
Judy: SAILS (5)
Rachel: ASSAIL (6)
DC: ARIAS (5)
OT: ASURAS (6) LAZARS (6) RAULIS (6) SIZARS (6)
Score: 12–25 (max 40)
Even Dictionary Corner concedes that Rachel has done well to get a 6 from this letters selection...
Round 6: 100, 7, 9, 2, 1, 4. Target: 561.
Judy: 561. (4 + 1) x 100 + 9 x 7 - 2 (10)
Rachel: 562.
Score: 22–25 (max 50)
Judy takes back 10 points by getting the numbers exactly.
Round 7: N G F O I A D O T
Judy: FOOTING (7)
Rachel: FOOTING (7)
DC: FOODING (7)
Score: 29–32 (max 57)
DC aren't entirely sure if FOODING is ok, as on ODO it redirects to the entry 'dogfood' (v): "(Of a company’s staff) use a product or service developed by that company so as to test it before it is made available to customers." Gevin's misgivings about the usage of ODO for verifying words are definitely founded here, as there doesn't seem to be a 'food' verb in its own accord, so why does it redirect to here? Hmm, interesting...
Round 8: S T R E I A S W E
Judy: WAITRESS (8)
Rachel: SWEATIER (8)
DC: WEARIEST (8) SWEATERS (8)
OT: SERIATES (8)
Score: 37–40 (max 65)
Round 9: 25, 3, 4, 4, 2, 1. Target: 461.
Judy: 464. Mistake in working.
Rachel: 455. (2 + 4) x 3 x 25 + 5 + 1 (5)
RR: 461. ((2 + 4) x 25 + 4) x 3 - 1 (10)
Score: 37–45 (max 75)
It looks like Judy might take the lead, but she makes a mistake. Rachel gets the points, but only 5 of them as she's 6 away from the target - not enough to take her out of crucial territory...
Teatime teaser: FIERIEST -> FEISTIER
Round 10: F T R A U A N D E
Judy: TURFED (6)
Rachel: DATURA (6)
DC: NATURED (7) RANTED (6)
OT: UNRATED (7)
Score: 43–51 (max 82)
A DATURA is (GET YOUR COUNTDOWN DEFINITION GUESSING KLAXON OUT!!) a plant! No way!! As if a word we don't know the meaning of has ever been a plant. More specifically, it's "A shrubby annual plant with large, erect, trumpet-shaped flowers, native to southern North America. They contain toxic or narcotic alkaloids and are used as hallucinogens by some American Indian peoples".
Round 11: G S N I O E R R A
Judy: EARRINGS (8)
Rachel: EARRINGS (8)
DC: ORGANISER (18)
Score: 51–59 (max 100)
Darren #2 is a 9.
Round 12: V N B E I A L S O
Judy: OLIVES (6)
Rachel: LESION (6)
DC: LESBIAN (7) EVASION (7)
OT: ABSOLVE (7) ALBINOS (7) ALEVINS (7) BONSELA (7) BOVINES (7) OBELIAS (7)
Score: 57–65 (max 107)
Dictionary Corner break out the L word.
Round 13: D N D U E A T R H
Judy: UNEARTH (7)
Rachel: THUNDER (7)
DC: DAUNTED (7) HAUNTER (7) UNDEAD (6)
OT: UNTHREAD (8)
Score: 64–72 (max 115)
Our final darren escapes everyone, including DC, who seem to think it's Halloween.
Round 14: 100, 7, 2, 1, 3, 8. Target: 387.
Judy: 387. (3 + 1) x 100 - (8 + 7) + 2 (10)
Rachel: 387. (3 + 1) x 100 - (8 + 7) + 2 (10)
Score: 74–82 (max 125)
For the first time today, both contestants max the numbers, giving Rachel an 8 point advantage going into the
(Can someone please ask Countdown Team to make crucial conundrums sparkly?)
Round 15: S I N G B A D L I
Judy buzzes on 14 seconds to say DISABLING which is correct.
Final Score: 84–82 (max 135)
It's not to be for Rachel, who - weirdly, given her degree - has been let down by her numbers, yet triumphed at the letters. Judy lives to fight another day - maybe all the way to octochampdom. Anyway, that's all from me for the next few hours. Because I also have to do this week's recap.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=73
Since unseating 4-time champion Pat Lonergan, Judy Bursford's been on a winning streak and is today attempting to match his number of wins. But we have an Apterite in the challenger's seat for the first time in a few weeks, attempting to stop her. Incredibly, the challenger is not only an Apterite, but that rarest of Apto-breeds, the female under-30 Apterite! With each passing year, the female under-30 Apterite species grows rarer and rarer, and is poised on the edge of extinction (there are a grand total of 5 in the entirety of Pro Ranks at the moment; Rachel is the third-ranked). Can Rachel inspire legions of young women to take up the anagramming cause and finally give us a female series champ? Or can Judy, for that matter? Let's see.
Countdown recap for Tuesday 7 July 2015.
C1: Champion Judy Bursford (3 wins, 254 points.)
C2: Challenger Rachel Hurst. A Maths student.
DC: Susie Dent and Helen Fospero.
RR: Rachel Riley.
OT: Other words or solutions.
R01: T P C A I O L E Y
R02: N S L U I A B T U
R03: 25, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2. Target: 980.
TTT: CARDFEES - "They often write things off by writing on them"
R04: R T S E A O M T E
R05: Z S R I A U S A L
R06: 100, 7, 9, 2, 1, 4. Target: 561.
R07: N G F O I A D O T
R08: S T R E I A S W E
R09: 25, 3, 4, 4, 2, 1. Target: 461.
TTT: FIERIEST - "The fieriest sort of person is usually this too"
R10: F T R A U A N D E
R11: G S N I O E R R A
R12: V N B E I A L S O
R13: D N D U E A T R H
R14: 100, 7, 2, 1, 3, 8. Target: 387.
R15: S I N G B A D L I (conundrum)
And now a brief interlude before our main feature:
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER DILDOES SPOILER SPOILER
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
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Enjoy the show.
Round 1: T P C A I O L E Y
Judy: LOCATE (6)
Rachel: CAPITOL (7)
DC: TOPICAL (7) OPTICAL (7) PLICATE (7)
OT: CALOTYPE (8) EPICOTYL (8) POETICAL (8)
Score: 0–7 (max 8)
Rachel takes an early lead with her American 7, which is "a building housing a legislative assembly" in the US.
Round 2: N S L U I A B T U
Judy: BLAST (5)
Rachel: BLAST (5)
DC: NAUTILUS (8)
Score: 5–12 (max 16)
A NAUTILUS is "A cephalopod mollusc with a light external spiral shell and numerous short tentacles around the mouth.
Genus Nautilus, the only surviving genus of the subclass Nautiloidea: several species, in particular the pearly nautilus". Also: when did ODO start having pictures?? There's a picture on the NAUTILUS entry! This is amazing!
It's also a darren.
Round 3: 25, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2. Target: 980.
Judy: -
Rachel: -
RR: 980. (25 x 4 - 2) x (8 + 2) (10)
Score: 5–12 (max 26)
(Bit harsh maybe, but I just wanted to use a Lion King GIF.)
Teatime teaser: CARDFEES -> DEFACERS
Round 4: R T S E A O M T E
Judy: STEAMER (7)
Rachel: MAESTRO (7)
DC: TOASTER (7) REMOTES (7) SMATTER (7)
OT: REMOTEST (8) TEAMSTER (8)
Score: 12–19 (max 34)
Quick teaser for DC - REMOTES+T = ?.
Round 5: Z S R I A U S A L
Judy: SAILS (5)
Rachel: ASSAIL (6)
DC: ARIAS (5)
OT: ASURAS (6) LAZARS (6) RAULIS (6) SIZARS (6)
Score: 12–25 (max 40)
Even Dictionary Corner concedes that Rachel has done well to get a 6 from this letters selection...
Round 6: 100, 7, 9, 2, 1, 4. Target: 561.
Judy: 561. (4 + 1) x 100 + 9 x 7 - 2 (10)
Rachel: 562.
Score: 22–25 (max 50)
Judy takes back 10 points by getting the numbers exactly.
Round 7: N G F O I A D O T
Judy: FOOTING (7)
Rachel: FOOTING (7)
DC: FOODING (7)
Score: 29–32 (max 57)
DC aren't entirely sure if FOODING is ok, as on ODO it redirects to the entry 'dogfood' (v): "(Of a company’s staff) use a product or service developed by that company so as to test it before it is made available to customers." Gevin's misgivings about the usage of ODO for verifying words are definitely founded here, as there doesn't seem to be a 'food' verb in its own accord, so why does it redirect to here? Hmm, interesting...
Round 8: S T R E I A S W E
Judy: WAITRESS (8)
Rachel: SWEATIER (8)
DC: WEARIEST (8) SWEATERS (8)
OT: SERIATES (8)
Score: 37–40 (max 65)
Round 9: 25, 3, 4, 4, 2, 1. Target: 461.
Judy: 464. Mistake in working.
Rachel: 455. (2 + 4) x 3 x 25 + 5 + 1 (5)
RR: 461. ((2 + 4) x 25 + 4) x 3 - 1 (10)
Score: 37–45 (max 75)
It looks like Judy might take the lead, but she makes a mistake. Rachel gets the points, but only 5 of them as she's 6 away from the target - not enough to take her out of crucial territory...
Teatime teaser: FIERIEST -> FEISTIER
Round 10: F T R A U A N D E
Judy: TURFED (6)
Rachel: DATURA (6)
DC: NATURED (7) RANTED (6)
OT: UNRATED (7)
Score: 43–51 (max 82)
A DATURA is (GET YOUR COUNTDOWN DEFINITION GUESSING KLAXON OUT!!) a plant! No way!! As if a word we don't know the meaning of has ever been a plant. More specifically, it's "A shrubby annual plant with large, erect, trumpet-shaped flowers, native to southern North America. They contain toxic or narcotic alkaloids and are used as hallucinogens by some American Indian peoples".
Round 11: G S N I O E R R A
Judy: EARRINGS (8)
Rachel: EARRINGS (8)
DC: ORGANISER (18)
Score: 51–59 (max 100)
Darren #2 is a 9.
Round 12: V N B E I A L S O
Judy: OLIVES (6)
Rachel: LESION (6)
DC: LESBIAN (7) EVASION (7)
OT: ABSOLVE (7) ALBINOS (7) ALEVINS (7) BONSELA (7) BOVINES (7) OBELIAS (7)
Score: 57–65 (max 107)
Dictionary Corner break out the L word.
Round 13: D N D U E A T R H
Judy: UNEARTH (7)
Rachel: THUNDER (7)
DC: DAUNTED (7) HAUNTER (7) UNDEAD (6)
OT: UNTHREAD (8)
Score: 64–72 (max 115)
Our final darren escapes everyone, including DC, who seem to think it's Halloween.
Round 14: 100, 7, 2, 1, 3, 8. Target: 387.
Judy: 387. (3 + 1) x 100 - (8 + 7) + 2 (10)
Rachel: 387. (3 + 1) x 100 - (8 + 7) + 2 (10)
Score: 74–82 (max 125)
For the first time today, both contestants max the numbers, giving Rachel an 8 point advantage going into the
(Can someone please ask Countdown Team to make crucial conundrums sparkly?)
Round 15: S I N G B A D L I
Judy buzzes on 14 seconds to say DISABLING which is correct.
Final Score: 84–82 (max 135)
It's not to be for Rachel, who - weirdly, given her degree - has been let down by her numbers, yet triumphed at the letters. Judy lives to fight another day - maybe all the way to octochampdom. Anyway, that's all from me for the next few hours. Because I also have to do this week's recap.
Further summaries are at:
http://cdb.apterous.org/series.php?series=73